Kenya Premium Embu – New Runyenjes FCS – Ena Factory – AB Washed Processed

Description This top lot comes from Embu County, on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, a region where the mountain plays a vital role, providing a cool climate, good humidity, and rich volcanic soils that typically produce coffees with exceptional clarity and juicy acidity. Embu shares virtually the same conditions as its more famous neighbors (Kirinyaga and Nyeri), yet it often goes unnoticed, making this lot somewhat special. This lot is comprised of cherries supplied by 300 small-scale producers organized around the Ena Coffee Factory, within a cooperative system with a long tradition in the area: Embu was home to some of the country’s first cooperative unions before independence (1963), and that tradition continues in its current operations. In the case of the New Runyenjes Farmers Cooperative, members participate in key decisions (how the coffee is marketed and processed), and the organization supports families with training and on-farm assistance, as well as advances for supplies and harvesting. The idea is simple and effective: select fully ripe cherries, process them carefully, and dry them patiently so that the coffee arrives clean and sweet. Tasting Notes: A wonderful cup from light to dark roasts. Kenyans are very full flavored coffees and this is a wonderful example of the traditional cup profile. Slightly less acidic and delicate than some of its AA cousins. A lively and flavorful Kenyan coffee, featuring a clean and distinctive fruity (citric and slight stone fruit) profile with a pronounced herbal nuance that is typically found in Kenyan coffees. Lighter roasts accentuate the brighter acidity, more on the citric side: lemon or orange like with a hint of a soft red fruit. The cup presents a medium body and a well-defined structure, with floral undertones, a caramel-like sweetness, and a touch of nutty character in the background with the herbal spice lingering in the aftertaste. This is not an overly fruity/citric Kenyan coffee; around a medium roasts, the potent nutty/chocolate/spice tones dominate the tastes with the fruity/citric notes hitting the background. Darker roasts soften the acidity and accentuate the chocolate factor, turns semi-sweet, dark chocolate like while retaining a faint echo of the bright fruitiness and herbal spice in the background. Roasting Notes: An easy-to-roast coffee, featuring a clean profile and excellent balance. Lighter roasts accentuate the floral character and the lively acidity typical of Kenyan coffees, with notes of lemon, orange, and berries manifesting most intensely in the foreground of the cup. Medium roasts offer the most harmonious balance, rounding out the acidity and enhancing the caramel-like sweetness, while simultaneously imparting greater fullness to the coffee’s body. Medium-dark roasts also yield very favorable results, developing deeper tones of cocoa and dark chocolate with a subtle spicy nuance. At the darkest roast levels, the brighter fruit notes recede into the background; nevertheless, a trace of acidity persists, preventing the cup from tasting flat or lacking vivacity.